The White House executive order shows that the new H-1B regulations will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, September 21st, giving H-1B visa applicants and holders only about a 24-hour window to respond. During this period, flights from China and India to the United States are fully booked, with some people even urgently canceling their trips and choosing not to board the planes.
President Trump signed the executive order on Friday, increasing the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000 per year. The executive order states that individuals currently holding an H-1B visa but residing abroad must have their U.S. employer pay $100,000 before they can enter the country once the order takes effect.
Due to the lack of clarity in the executive order regarding whether the new regulations only apply to new H-1B applicants or also include existing holders or renewal applicants, it has caused anxiety among all H-1B holders and employers.
Multiple U.S. universities and tech companies’ employees have reported that their Human Resources departments have sent urgent internal emails advising international employees not to leave the United States. If currently outside the U.S. and holding an H-1B visa, it is strongly recommended to return to the U.S. before midnight on Sunday, September 21st, 2025.
According to a report by mainland Chinese media outlet “First Financial,” a Chinese netizen who was returning home for a visit stated, “I have urgently changed to today’s flight in hopes of catching the last direct flight to the U.S. before the $100,000 regulation goes into effect.”
Due to the sudden turn of events, some Chinese netizens suggested flying to Hawaii first and then figuring out the next steps. Hawaii is geographically closest to China, and within a few hours, the price of flights from Shanghai to Honolulu on September 20th has already risen by several thousand yuan, originally priced between 4,000 to 5,000 yuan.
As per Epoch Times inquiries, round-trip flight tickets from Beijing to New York on Ctrip, a Chinese booking platform, have surged to 65,000 yuan.
Another Chinese H-1B holder posted on social media asking, “I just landed in Europe for a trip, should I immediately return?” With frustration, he explained that he had booked everything, including flights, hotels, and itineraries for a half-day tour in Rome.
Another internet user replied, “If traveling is more important to you than work, you can choose not to return. This is not about the $100,000; it’s a travel ban. Your company won’t even have a place to pay, and if the details get delayed for a few months, you may lose your job.”
Indian media reported on Sunday that several Indian tech professionals, upon receiving the news from the White House, immediately chose to abandon boarding or disembarked from flights to stay in the U.S. Many Indians working abroad during this time will return home to participate in the upcoming Durga Puja festival.
Masud Rana posted on social media X, mentioning that the Emirates flight he was on was delayed for over three hours at San Francisco Airport on Friday. “President Trump signed an order affecting new and existing H-1B visa holders, causing panic among many people – especially Indian passengers – prompting some to even choose not to board the plane,” Rana wrote in the post.
Another X user recounted the scene on a flight from Dubai to Mumbai. Upon learning that September 21st is the deadline for H-1B visa holders, at least 10 to 15 passengers disembarked within 20 minutes because they were concerned about being unable to re-enter the U.S.
Meanwhile, H-1B holders in India have noticed a significant surge in direct flights to the U.S. Prices for flights from New Delhi to New York’s JFK International Airport skyrocketed within two hours of the White House announcement, with one-way tickets rising from approximately 37,000 rupees to 70,000 to 80,000 rupees.
An Indian user posted, “The flight from New Delhi to New York is currently priced at $4,500. Due to concerns about the new H-1B visa regulations, they are urgently returning to the U.S.”